How do anabolic steroids interact with the immune system?

High doses of anabolic steroids reduce the amounts of immune globulin A, G, and M in the blood. These proteins, known medically as IgA, IgG, and IgM, are part of the body's humoral immune system. These antibodies that circulate in the bloodstream and attack invading bacteria. Having fewer of them may make a person more likely to develop a serious infection.

Steroid injection can carry many kinds of bacteria and viruses past the protective skin and into the blood, causing infection. The use of syringes without strict sanitary and sterile conditions
can transmit infectious hepatitis, a life-threatening disease. Needle-sharing can lead to AIDS and other blood-borne diseases. There are two documented cases of AIDS transmission traced to needle-sharing in the gym.

By contrast, anabolic steroids increase the activity of the natural killer cells. Another of the body's defenses against infection, natural killer cells are specialized white blood cells that attack specific viruses and bacteria and help to prevent tumor formation. Increased natural killer cell activity could be helpful to the body.
However, overactive natural killer cells could also attack the body's own tissues, leading to diseases that are known medically as "autoimmune diseases."

Drugs that can Harm the Immune System

The flu is rarely deadly. It's flu that becomes pneumonia that kills. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs should be seriously considered on the list of things that could potentially make people more susceptible to having a flu that morphs into a deadly pneumonia.

Steroids
All steroid drugs, from corticosteroids to anabolic steroids, suppress the immune system that defends against bacterial and viral infections such as pneumonia.

Chronic stress creates greater susceptibility to infection because it raises cortisol levels. Cortisol is a steroid hormone released by the adrenal glands that has many side effects when it’s chronically high. One side effect is that it reduces inflammation. At first glance that sounds good, but at the same time it suppresses the immune system. Chronically high cortisol also disrupts blood sugar balance, often leading to high insulin, obesity and sometimes, diabetes.

The most common route of steroid drug use, particularly in children, is through asthma inhalers.
Most asthma inhalers contain some form of synthetic steroid. These steroids help reduce the airway inflammation associated with asthma, but at the same time can reduce the ability of the lungs to fight bacterial and viral infections.

Steroid drug abuse among high school and college athletes is common. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that 1 – 6% of high school athletes use steroid drugs to enhance their performance. This amounts to potentially hundreds of thousands of teens with suppressed immune systems who are more susceptible to viral and bacterial infection.

Steroid drugs such as prednisone are widely prescribed for people with painful inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, and for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and lupus. They are also prescribed for those with organ transplants to suppress a rejection response by the immune system.

Even the regular use of cortisone creams for arthritis can raise cortisol levels enough to suppress the immune system.

 PPI Heartburn Drugs that Suppress Stomach Acid
Proton pump inhibitors or PPIs such as Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec powerfully block the secretion of stomach acid. This has the effect of reducing heartburn and nausea, but it also blocks one of the body’s main defenses against bacteria and viruses. According to a 2004 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 70% of the hospitalized patients in the study received a PPI or other stomach acid-suppressing drug within hours of being admitted. The study showed that patients who were given PPIs had a 30% higher risk of developing pneumonia.

Statin Drugs to Lower Cholesterol
A medical group in Switzerland found that organ transplant patients who were taking statin drugs (e.g. Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol) did better than those who weren’t taking the drugs. Laboratory studies showed that statins did indeed suppress parts of the immune system, and the authors concluded, “This unexpected effect provides a scientific rationale for using statins as immunosuppressors, not only in organ transplantation but in numerous other pathologies as well.”

SSRI Antidepressants
The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant drugs (SSRIs) such as Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil increase serotonin levels and in so doing also give the immune system a boost. This boost can be the good news or the bad news. According to researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center, this boost can push the immune system into autoimmune disease, where the body starts attacking itself. These types of immune system over-reactions are also implicated in the “cytokine storms” that can create deadly inflammation in the lungs.

Opioid Drugs
Both short term and long term use of the pain killing opioid drugs such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl, codeine and morphine block the immune system’s ability to attack viral and bacterial invaders. Some pain killing drugs such as Tramdol combine an opioid with acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol), further compromising the immune system with acetaminophen’s toxic effects on liver function.

Anabolic steroid effects on immune function

In order to understand how anabolic steroids effect the immune system, you must first understand how the immune system works.
The organs of the immune system are stationed throughout the body. They are generally referred to as lymphoid organs because that are concerned with the growth, development, and deployment or lymphocytes, the white cells that are the base of the immune system. These organs include bone marrow, thymus, lymph nodes, and spleen.

Immune cells, like all other cells, are produced in the bone marrow. There are two main classes of immune cells or lymphocytes as they are called. These are known as T cells and B cells. T cells mature in an organ know as the thymus. Most T and B cells congregate in the various immune organs, while other travel around in the blood stream.

The lymph nodes house both T and B cells. These cells work together though different mechanisms. They are very dependent on each other. By effecting one group of cells, you throw off the entire function of the immune responce. Now a little bit about B cells and T cells.

B cells work chiefly by secreting soluble substances called antibodies into the bodies fluids or humors. This is known as humoral immunity. Antibodies typically interact with circulating antigens such as bacteria and toxic molecules, but are unable to penetrate living cells. T cells interact directly with their targets, attacking body cells that have been commandeered by viruses.
There are different subsets of T cells which carry out various functions.

Each B cell is programmed to make one specific antibody. When a B cell manufactures millions of identical antibody molecules and pures them into the bloodstream. A given antibody matches a given antigen much as a key matches a lock. These antibodies indentify the antigen and mark it for destruction. Antibodies can work in several ways, depending on the nature of the antigen.

T cells contribute to the immune defenses in two major ways. Regulatory T cells do one thing and Cytotoxic T cells do another. Regulatory T cells are vital to orchestrating the elaborate system.
Cytotoxic T cells on the other hand directly attack body cells that are infected. T cells work directly by secreting substances known as lymphokines. Lymphokines call into play many other cells and substances, including the elements of the inflammmatory responce.

Once you under stand why T cells and B cells are dependent on each other, it is easier to understand how AAS effects this partnership. I will discuss this in the next thread. I do suggest that everyone do some research and understand this more specifically. I basiclly just summerized how the immune system functions.


Although I could not find any specific studies regarding how AAS effects immune function, I was able to piece together several articles and come up with a general idea of how this works.
The immune system has two basic types of defense cells. The B cells which make up the Humoral immunity, and T cells that make up the cell immunity.

First the T cells are formed in the thymus. These T cells work directly by attacking the invading virus. Explaining all the actions of T cells would take forever to do. If you want to do more, there are loads of info on this available at other sites. Most AAS are known to suppress Cellular immunity, although they stimulate humoral immunity.

What first brought this to my attention were the vast number of articles relating to using AAS to treat autoimmune diseases. Most autoimmune diseases are caused by various T cells attacking your own body.

Small doses of winstrol, and deca, have been shown to have no effect on the cellular immunity, but still improves humoral immunity. It is also know that many AAS including deca have been shown to be antiinflammatory. Although I believe that deca accomplishes this through a different function as compared to the rest. This is greatly because cellular immunity is what causes inflammation.

Sterols Have The Potential To Stabilize The Immune System And Protect From Numerous Diseases

Sterols present in plants are referred to as phytosterols and are present in small quantities in numerous fruits and vegetables. Sterols are similar in structure to the cholesterol present in animal cells.
However, sterols offer better benefits than the cholesterol obtained from animal cells and are proven to reduce the levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol in the body. It is now being proposed that sterols have the potential to stabilize the immune system and protect one from numerous diseases and health conditions. It is believed that sterols, along with improvement in cholesterol levels also help prevent many infections.

The immune system performs a wide range of functions that as a whole help in preventing infections and diseases in the human body. Supplementations of various plant products have been associated with an improvement in function in the immune system. Plant sterols which were initially being promoted for benefits on serum blood cholesterol levels are now being researched and studied for the effects on the human immune system.

The T-lymphocytes have a number of associated cells that are grouped as T-helper cells to aid in the function of identifying and destroying harmful microorganisms and their toxic products. These T-helper cells have been reported to fight directly against the viruses and other microorganisms to prevent the occurrence of infections. Further, T-cells may also act against cancer cells and prevent progression and spreading. Studies have reported that nutrients such as plant sterols do have an influence on the number and function of such helper cells that are quite essential for the prevention of infections.Proper regulation of immune cells is important in enhancing the actions of the immune system while protecting the body against autoimmune reactions and responses.
Sterols Benefits on the Immune System and Medical Studies
One of the benefits of regulation of the immune system was noted in patients suffering from asthma. Asthma results from the abnormal increase in the response of the immune system to minor stimuli. Administration of plant sterols were noted to regulate the actions of the T-helper cells, thereby reducing the release of several chemicals (histamines) responsible for the inflammation of cells of the lungs and the throat. Dr. Miller concludes that the administration of plant sterols does have an effect on the immune system and can be used as additional mode of therapy while treating individuals suffering from asthma.

A compound produced from a combination of plant sterols was tested on individuals suffering from HIV infection in South Africa. HIV is known for its suppression on the immune system and the study demonstrated promising results. The administration of sterol compounds was notably associated with an increase in the T-cell counts along with other benefits such as improvement in general health, decrease in the number of viruses present in the body, weight gain and reduction in skin irritations.

The results obtained from these studies have confirmed the effects of anabolic steroids on the immune system. Therefore, it can be concluded that plant sterols may boost the immune system and protect the body against infections and other disorders.

Treatment And Prevention Of Virus Infections

It is necessary to create conditions in which fighting between virus and child ends up with child's victory. These conditions include regimen, diet and special medications.

Treatment:
1. Fighting with concrete disease symptoms. For example, treatment of eruptions on skin or cough attenuation, or particular nose drops, or action on high body temperature.
2. Improvement of functioning and lowering of natural loads on cells damaged by virus. For example, anti-inflammatory remedies or medications improving work of liver cells, or medications that activate blood supply of brain cells.

Significant complications and significant limitations that appear when choosing treatment methods of virus infections do define the fact that it is necessary to pay spacial attention on preventive measures.

How to prevent virus infections?
1. Vaccination. Injecting in the body of weakened virus leads to production of antibodies protecting from a particular virus infection (measles, rubella, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, influenza, tick-borne encephalitis).
2. Avoiding contacts with potential source of infection. At home patient with influenza should be isolated from other members of his family. Selective sexlife to prevent AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
3. Healthy lifestyle helps to formation of a normal immune system.

Lack of Sleep and the Immune System

A group of researchers from Great Britain and Netherlands studied how human body reacts on lack of sleep. Like stress, lack of sleep (including chronic one) has negative effects on the immune system. 

During stress human body starts to produce granulocytic cells, a kind of leukocytes. Lack of sleep has the same effects. It was proved by a study in which participated 15 young people who slept 8 hours  daily during a week, after which they did not sleep for 29 hours.

Tests have shown that 29 hours of insomnia provoked not only increase in production of granulocytic cells but also break in rhythm of renewal of white blood cells. It was proved that lack of sleep may cause different diseases such as obesity, diabetes and increased blood pressure.

Researchers also say that chronic lack of sleep leads to absorption of body immune system. In the very near future they intend to make one more study during which they plan to study body reaction on stress at molecular level in order to understand how exactly lack of sleep provokes different diseases.

Scientists consider that results of the study are an occasion to overview schedule of work in professions which are connected with long periods of awakenings, for example, where people work in rotating teams.

How To Boost Your Immune System?

We continue to talk about immunity. See the beginning in previous post.

Vaccines may be killed or live. Adaptive immunity after injecting killed vaccine is of small duration (about one year) in comparison with live ones (5 – 8 years). Killed vaccines present of themselves a suspension of microorganisms killed with folmalin, spirit or heating. Live vaccines present of themselves a suspension of live but attenuated microorganisms.

Contraindications to vaccines usage are:
- acute febrile illness;
- passed infectious diseases;
- tuberculosis;
- heart disease;
- serious diseases of kidneys; stomach, etc;
- pregnancy;
- first weeks of lactation;
- allergies.

Signs of low immune system:
- frequent backsets of chronic diseases
- frequent cold-related diseases
- sedentary lifestyle, alcohol abuse, smoking, stress, lack of good rest do greatly lower immunity
- chemical substances have negative effects on immune system. Using of medications for a long period of time may lower immunity, so it is recommended to take preventive measures for maintaining body defenses.

How to boost your immune system?
1) Vitamins. Most positive effects on body have natural vitamins rather than pills.
2) Adaptogens, i.e. medical agents which increase body resistance to negative effects of external environment (ginseng, eleuterococcus, etc).
3) Exercises.
4) Healthy lifestyle.

Take special care about medications which do “boost the immunity”. Remember that those medications are never used as self-acting remedy. They may only be prescribed by your doctor to take it along with basic medication for treatment of concrete disease. Healthy people have no need to take these medications. Chemical balance in human body is too fragile mechanism and self-treatment in this case may lead to negative effects. Taking medications for immunity boosting without prescription of your doctor leads to immunity lowering.

What Is Immunity?

Immunity (lat. Immanitas – liberation from duties) is an ability of body to resist infections and toxins. Immune system is most important system in human body. Immunity protects body not only from microbes that provoke infectious diseases but also from genetically foreign cells (parasites, enthetic tissues and even cancerous cells). Immunity to infectious diseases shows in several forms.

Natural immunity appears without conscious human intervention. It may be innate or adaptive.

1. Innate immunity (inherent immunity) is determined by characteristics transmitted heritably which are common to particular species. This is biological peculiarity of a specie which is resistant to particular infections. For example, humans never get infected with distempers and, instead, dogs never get infected with typhoid fever. Children in their first months of life have natural immunity to measles, scarlet fever, and diphtheria, which is connected with retention of protective antibodies that he got from mother who was diseased with them in past.

2. Adaptive immunity (acquired immunity) results from body reaction to entering of microbes in the body. It occurs after infectious disease or results from latent inflammatory process. Acquired natural immunity after ones infectious disease persists for a long time, sometimes for life (typhoid fever, chicken pox, measles, etc), and sometimes for a short time (influenza, etc). Immune system “remembers” all microorganisms which it faced before. Antibodies against them remain in the body for a long time or even for life. So when the microbe enters the body again, the immune system already knows how to fight it and as a result the disease courses in more mild form.

3. Artificial immunity appears after injecting vaccines or serum. Vaccination is performed routinely independently from morbidity rate. Serum with antibodies is used to provide rapid activation of immunity when infection has already occurred. The duration of artificial immunity is less than of natural immunity. Serum provides the duration of 2 – 3 weeks, and vaccines from several months to 5 – 8 years.

Obligatory vaccines are vaccines against tuberculosis, measles, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, etc. Routinely are made vaccines to particular population groups, for example, vaccines against intestinal infections to workers of food enterprises, child-care centres, etc. In particular terms vaccines are made again (revaccinaction).

Keep Your Immune System Strong

A number of scientists claim that weak immune system is a result of natural aging process. Dr. Fillips says that it is enough just to change lifestyle to make immunity much stronger. “Eventually, the way we take care of our heath determines the way our immunity system takes care of us.” Here are the ways you may keep your immune system strong.

Eliminate Stress
From the earliest times scholars suspected stress to weaken immune system. At present time, there are many proves of this theory. An experiment was made. Four hundred volunteers used nose drops with virus of catarrhal disease, and group of 26 volunteers used placebo (i.e. drops without virus). Then in both groups was measured stress level in their blood and then they got new dozes of vaccine. As a result, in people with high stress level the probability to get diseased was two times higher than in those who had low stress level. In group of 26 people no one got diseased.

Scientists say that stress contributes to steroid hormones production in atrabiliary capsules which suppress activity of immune system. It is up to you to choose how to fight stress. You should begin with next activities: play with your children, pets, work in the garden, etc. Also you may meditate, practice yoga or read an interesting book.

Have Enough Sleep
“Sleep is a repair shop of immune system” - says Dr. Fillips. During sleep you rest with your body and mind but your immune system keeps working. It must guard your health but it requires less energy to strengthen defense mechanisms. Insufficient sleep has negative effects on your immune system. Scientists have stated that when people lose 3 or 4 hours of their sleep, their immune system activity reduces by 30%.  The conclusion is that you must sleep not less than 6 – 8 hours a day.

Quit Smoking
Tobacco smoke contains formaldehyde, a substance that paralyzes macrophages in lungs. This makes human more vulnerable to the diseases of upper respiratory tract including influenza. So you should give up smoking if you smoke.

Make Regular Exercises
Moderate physical activity prevents from microbes assembly in lungs and strengthens immune system which helps to accelerating of antibodies circulation in blood. In order to keep your immune system strong you should practice aerobics, walk, jog, swim or ride a bike 20 minutes a day.